Puppet-valve for internal-combustion engines.



F. 0. SHEPHERD; PUPPET VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES APPLICATION Fl-LED FEB. 3. 19!].-

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

FRANK D. SHEPHERD, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

PUPZPET-VALVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

JPatented Sept. 15, 191?.

Application filed February 8, 1917. Serial No. 147,397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK D. SHEPHERD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and in the State of Utah, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Puppet-Valves for Internal-Combustion Engines, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to puppet valves and especially those adapted for use with internal combustion engines, and my object, generally stated, is to provide a valve construction which will increase the power of the engine, or to put it differently, will secure economy of use of fuel; which will efliciently and certainly perform its functions of closing and opening, so that when closed upon its seat it can be depended upon to cut off completely the flow of gas, and when open will allow free and ample passage; will be simple of construction hence contributing to economy of manufacture as well as eliminating danger of becomin disordered; and will be readily and easi y accessible for removal and replacement of the parts, whose removal and replacement may be desirable, and for the attainment of this object and others which will be understood by those skilled in the art when the characteristics of the valve embodying my invention are understood from the accompanying drawings and description, my invention consists in the valve mechanism constructed substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate several forms, or embodiments of my invention Figure 1 is a vertical section through an internal combustion engine having a valve embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing only the valve mechanism and immediately adjacent parts of another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a different construction.

Giving a detail description of the construction shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the engine cylinder 10 shown is of the type having the head 11 cast integral therewith and connected with said head there areas many puppet valves, as, in the udgment of the designer it is proper, or desirable to employ, but for the purpose of disclosing my invention to those skilled in the art it is not necessary to show and describe more than one valve mechanism, which thus is to be taken as representative, or typical for both the intake and the exhaust, and for as many as it may be desirable, or expedient to employ. My invention, as will be evident, has to do with the valve construction and not with the number employed (although its construction is such as to render unnecessary multiplication of the number); nor is my invention concerned with the particular type, or construction of the engine, or the mechanism for lifting the valve from its seat. In the engine head eccentric to the cylinder, 1 provide an internally threaded opening 12 which extends from the outer end of the head into the port 13, which is controlled b the valve mechanism, for which purpose, directly in line with said opening 12 and on the opposite side of the port it has a beveled seat 14: for the puppet valve '15 whose face, or rim is correspondingly beveled so that it closel ,and in a gas tight manner, fits its seat. crewed in said hole 12 is one end of a cylindrical shall 16, a gas tight joint being formed between a shoulder on said shell and the outer side of the cylinder head by an interposed washer, or gasket 17. When the outer end. of said shell is closed in a gas tight manner by a plug 18 which is screwed into said outer end and a gas tight joint formed by a Washer, or gasket 19 clamped between the plug and a shoulder, or bearing on the shell. At the opposite inner end of the shell it is closed save for a central hole 20 through which passes, with a sliding fit, a stem 21. Said stem extends from the valve and into the chamber in said shell and within the chamber it has a flange, or head 22 of substantially the diameter of the chamber, and between said head and an abutment, or bearing surface is interposed an expansive coil spring 23, which by pressure on the valve transmitted through said head and stem yieldingly .holds the valve to its seat from which it is lifted by the usual lifter cam 24 acting through a stem 25 on the opposite side of the valve from the stem 21. The stem 21 is not connected with, or attached to the valve and it need not be because it acts b thrust upon the valve, but at its inner en it simply bears against the outer side of the valve and preferably as valve stem with a lifting force. and yet .the

advantages coming from the separate connectlon of stem and valve are'securd.

Means, such as several holes 27, are provided in the outer face of the valve for the .15 application thereto of a suitable tool for grinding the valve while on its seat. The flange, or head 22 has a spring-engaging surface that is preferably concave, or

dished so as to aflord a good bearing for the spring and within the spring it' has a short extension over which the sprin loosely fits, and from end to end it is per orated as by means of several holes 28 whose purpose is to prevent such suction between the inner sides of the head and the adjacent station- 'ary surface as would hinder, or obstruct perfectly free movement of the head and of the valve when the latter is lifted from its seat and to prevent the existence of an air 30 cushion that would obstruct, or hinder the 4 seating movement of the valve, Between the head 22 and the'inner end of theshell 16 is a-ring 29 of absorbent fire-proof, or non-.

heat conducting material which snugly fits 5 the annular space around the valve stem 21,

and 'said ring being saturated with some lasting lubricant, it supplies such lubricant to the valve stem and t us easesits move-., ments in the hole in the inner end of the v40 shell 16. Moreover said ring 29 also performs the function of pacln'ngthe joints so as to prevent the leakage, or escape of gas into the. shell 16, and when made of nonheat conducting material it protects the spring within the shell 16 from the high tempelagatures of the gas passing through the port To reduce the unoccupied space, or volume in the shell 16 to a minimum and thus preclude the presence in said shell of any more than a negligible quantity of gas, should leakage into the shell 16 occur, the plu 18 has an inward cylindrical extension 30 t at constitutes a filler within the spring coils which is made as large inidiameterandof as great length as posslble without interfering with the play of the spring and the movements of the valves. Said extension, as shown in Fig. .1, has a'threaded connection with the plug 18 .by means of a shank 31 which engages a threaded axial hole 32 5 in the plug, and upon said extension within the casing .16 is an annular flange 33 which forms the bearing for the outer end of the coil spring 23. By thisadjustable connection thus provided'between the filler 30 and the plug 32, the tension of the spring 23 may be adjusted and also such ad ustment of the plug made as is necessary to secure proper clearance, or avoidance of contact between theinner end of the filler and outer end of the valve stem. Preferably said filler 30 and its threaded shank are hollow soas to render the heat radiating surface of as great an area as possibleand thereby safeguard the spring from injury by high temperatures and the outer end of the chamber at leastmay be made flat-sided for the reception and engagement of a suitable socket I wrench, for turning for adjustment. Of

' course, at its inner end thefiller 30 is closed since an important'characteristic of my invention is the preservation of a gas-tight condition within the shell 16, which is completely cut oil" from communication with the external atmosphere. A look nut 34 is applied to the threaded shank 31 of the filler 30 so as to securely hold the parts at "the desired adjustment.

As afurther. precaution against undue heating, the radiatingsurface of the shell 16 may: be increased-by the familiar device of fins or ribs on its exterior.

. Referring to the construction shown in Fig. 2, it will be found to differ from what is shown in Fig. 1, in that the contacting surface of stem 210 and valve are flat, or

- plane, and in that'the'filler 301 is integral with the spring-engaging head 220 and with the valve stem 201, and said filler 301 is solid and in that the closing plug 181 affords the bearing for one end of the spring 23 and is provided with a wrench-receiving socket 182.

The construction shown in Fig.3 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, excepting that the spring-engaging flange 33 shown in Fig.

1 is omitted, the plug 302 and its-shank 303 i are solid and an angular lug 304 projects from. the-shank for the application of a turning wrench. The adjustment of the plug 302 in'the 'case of the construction shown in Fig. 3, is simply to'provide for proper clearance between'the inner end of the plug and the outer end of the valve stem 21, for in this case the spring 23 at its outer end bears against the closing plu 13.

I have shown various forms, or em od1- ments of my invention in order that it may be understood that I realize that such inventionmay exist in diflerent forms. It, of course, can have embodiments other than those selected by way of example and, hence,

it is to be understood that I regard myself 3 as entitled to its embodiments in still other forms than those shown in the drawings.

'Having thus described my invention what I claimis- 1. The combination of an engine cyhnder having a valve-contro11ed passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container, a spring in said shell, a stem reaching from the valve into said shell, and a spring-engaging head on. said stem, said stem and said valve being unconnected.

2. The combination of, an engine cylinder having a valve-controlled passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container, a spring in said shell, a stem reaching from the valve into said shell, and a springengaging head on said stem, said stem and said valve being unconnected, and one of said parts having a socket that receives the other part.

3. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve-controlled passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container, a spring in said shell, a stem reaching from the valve into said shell, and a spring-engaging head on said stem integral with said stem, said stem and valve being unconnected.

4. The combination of an engine cylinder havlng a valve controlled passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container into which a valve-operating member extends, a coil spring in said shell bearing against said member at one end, and an adjustable filler that extends partially through the coils of the spring.

5. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve controlled passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container into which a valve-operating member extends, a coil spring in said shell bearing ing against said member at one end, and an adjustable filler that extends partially through the coils of the spring, said filler having a bearing for the other end of the spring.

6. The combination of an engine cylinder having a valve controlled passage with a valve seat, a puppet valve, a shell or container into which a valve-operating member extends, a coil spring in said shell bearing against said member at one end, and an adjustable filler that extends partially through the coils of the spring, said filler' having a bearing for the other end of the spring, and said filler being hollow and opening to the external air.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK D. SHEPHERD. 

